Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29er 2018

So here it is, the totally new Giant Anthem 29er. Ready to ride fast and race hard straight from the box. For many riders with a cross country orientation the demise of the ‘old’ Anthem 29er was a sorry loss but the good news is now you can rejoice as it’s been brought back.

Sticking with the Maestro suspension design the new Anthem delivers 90mm of race track-munching travel. Up front Giant stick to their mis-match travel formula and stick a 100mm Fox 32 Step Cast suspension fork. Both are linked by a single lockout lever to rapidly adjust the stance during a ride.

7Mesh Guardian Jacket

7Mesh’s Revelation jacket is one of our favourite foul weather friends for battling through the wet months ahead. Now there needn’t be so many arguments in the office as 7Mesh has just brought out this even better Guardian version.

Being from British Columbia, 7Mesh know a thing or two about surviving damp conditions and the Guardian builds on that reputation. Made from Gore Tex Active fabric, it’s a little longer than the Revelation and features a permanent over the helmet style hood.

Leatt DBX 3.0 Helmet

The DBX 3.0 is Leatt’s all singing all mountain helmet and it’s got turbines(!)

The 360° Turbine Technology is Leatt’s version of a MIPS system, designed to reduce rotational forces on the head and to cushion impacts in the event of the inevitable crunch.

18 big vents take care of cooling and air flow whilst the shape at the back is supposed to allow no fouling issues when wearing a hydration pack. The visor is fully adjustable for all you goggle wearers.

SQ Lab 611 Ergowave ltd. Tibor Simai saddle

Your saddle doesn’t get as much appreciation as it should. After all, it’s probably one of the components that can make or break your enjoyment on a ride. SQ Lab claim to make a saddle that keeps you comfortable, ride efficiently and to be pain free. What’s not to like about those features?

The 611 Ergowave ltd. Timor Simai (611 to its friends) is the pinnacle of their design. A deep channel and specifically designed step shape reduce pressure on vital parts.

The 611 is a MTB specific saddle with padding optimised for off-road pounding, uniquely you can fine tune just how much comfort you need using the removable elastomer ‘shocks’. Carbon rails help keep the weight down.

AlfaSilver spray-on first aid

We crash, we get scuffs and cuts; it’s all part of MTB life. Sometimes it’s difficult to sort out first aid straight away when on the trail and that’s when something like AlfaSilver comes into play.

AlfaSilver harnesses the antimicrobial properties of silver to treat cuts and grazes when out on a ride. Simply spray on (after cleaning any cuts) and it acts as a barrier, preventing infection and speeding up healing.

The 100ml can is easy to keep in a pack for those emergency situations.

Right, the sun’s still shining (at time of writing anyway!) so it’s time to ride. Enjoy.